Veneer press



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Aug. 9, 1932.

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Aug.`9,1932.

E. G. LACEYA 1,870,517

VENEQER- PRESS Filed oct. 14, 195o zsheets-sheet 2 I y f5 [j /6 I, f7 E f7, '77 Z A f6 26 525 29 I. 92 j; g3 30 gra@ Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT I,or-fricla:

ERNEST GEORGE LACEY, -OF ABBOTSFORD, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA Y VENEEB PRESS Application led October 14, 1930, Serial No.

This invention relates to improvements inand connected with veneer presses and refers especially to presses for use in applying veneers such as thin pieces of wood of superior quality to the surfaces of members of wood or other material.

vVeneers are applied to the surfaces of such members by means of glue or cement, and, in

order to ensure a satisfactory junction be- 19 tween the veneerpand the material to which it is applied, it is customary to apply pressure to the surface ofthe veneer and to sub ject it to heat whereby the glue will be maintained in a liquid condition until the junction is effected.r v

Various types of presses have Ypreviously been used and suggested for applying pressure and heat to the work and, in some cases, a plurality of hollow rigid cauls have been 2.0 disposed between parallelly arranged rigid plates adapted to be adjusted l towards and v from each other, so that the requisite pressure could be applied to work placed in the compartments formed byeadjacent caul plates. A heated fluid is passed through the caul plates to maintain the work at a desiredtemperature. I am also aware that rubber bags and diaphragms of rubber and thinv metal plates have previously been proposedfor use in the apj plication of veneers, a pressure fluid being delivered to the bags or into chambers behind the diaphragme so that the exible material would accommodate itself to 'the sur- 35. face of an article in contact therewith.

In some cases the pressure fluid has been heated in order .to maintain the glue in a liquid condition when pressure is first applied to the articles.

4 The object of this invention is to provide an improved veneer press by means of which pressure and heat may be applied uniformly and expeditiously to articles to be treated.

The invention briefly consists in providing 5 a veneer press having parallellyv disposed fixed and adjustable plates, an intermediately disposed shallow dexible envelope the opposed faces of'which are directed towards the fixed and adjustable plates and arranged to impart a yielding pressure to adjacent pieces of work,

488,623, and in Australia November 28, 1929.

and a plurality of shallow flexible envelopes as above mentioned are supported from the top plate 1n spaced relationshi to form compartments for the reception o the work.

Hot water under pressure is circulatedo through the envelopes to keep the gluein a liquid condition until the veneer is pressed firmly a ainst the article to which it is to 'be attache and ymeans are provided for throttling the discharge of the water in order to 7o' control the pressure within the envelopes.

v Having set forth the object and nature of the invention, reference will. be made to the accompanying explanatory drawings where- 1n:- 75

Figure l is a view in elevation partly in section of va veneer press constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 isa view in'end elevation of the press shown in lFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a view in sectional end elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view in plan of the right hand end of the press shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail view showing means for adjustably supportingthe envelopes;

Figure 6 is a v1ew in perspective, partly in section, of portions of an adjacent pair of envelopes; and

Figure 7 is a view showing a device for indicating` the rate of discharge of the fluid from the envelopes. S

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 designates a pair of parallel longitudinally disposed beams forming the base 95 of the machiiie and which are supported adjacent theirv ends on suitably formed standards 11. i f

A plurality of equally spaced transverse beams 12 of I'section are supported on the |00 erab upper surfaces of the beams 10 and these ends thereof are fitted with bevel pinions 18 meshing with pinions 19 secured to a longitudinally' disposed shaft 2O rotatively supported in bearings 21 also formed integrally with the said standards.

The screw shafts 16 aresupported on the standards by means of thrust bearings 16.

A gear22 provided at one end of the horizontal shaft is in constant mesh with a` mounted on an axle 24l projecting lateral y from the respective pinion 23 rotativel standard 11. f

A crank disc 24 is rigidly associated with the inion 23 and is provided with a. crank han le whereb an operator may readily rotate both of t e screw shafts 16 in unison.

may be provided for rotating the shaft 2O or that same may be provided with a clutch whereby it may be operated from any convenient source of power. l

A crosshead 25 is mounted on each of the screwthreaded vertical shafts 16, the lower portions of central holes therein being screw threaded to accommodate the said shafts.

The crossheads are suitably shaped to support the ends of a pair of horizontally aligned longitudinal beams 27 which are secured in position by means of bolts 28.

A plurality 'of spaced transverse beams 29 are secured below the beams 27 and same support atop plate comprising a wooden deck 3U which is preferably rovided on its lower f face with a sheet meta lining 31.

'It will be apparent that vthe to plate may be adjusted to and from the be by the rotation of the screw shafts 16 by means of the lon 'tudinal shaft 20.

nd plates 32 are secured to the ends of the beams 29 disposed at opposite ends of the top plate and same are fitted with laterally disposed pins 33 accommodated in slots 34 formed inlinks 35 for supporting the upper pair of a plurality of flexible envelopes 36.

their longitudinal edges with a pair of laterally projecting pins 37'which are located adjacent to the opposite ends thereof, and the lfrom a pins on the upper envelope engage centraly disposed holes in the supporting links, 35. The lower ends of the links 35 are also slotted to receive the pins 37 on the intermediate envelope whilst the lower envelope is supported/by means of links 38 fitted at their upper ends to the pins 37 on the intermediate velopes may tween the top and bottom plates of the press 'and that same may be adjustably supported in any other approved inanner.

The right hand ends of the envelopes (Figures 1 and.6) are fitted with inlet pipes 40 to which are connected the ends of flexible tubes 41 communicating at their opposite ends with individual cocks 42 on a common 'sup lypipe 43. It will be apparent that an electric motor ing coil 44 located within a suitable heating T e supply pipe 43 is connected to a heatchamber v45 mounted on extensions of the beams 10, and wat/er is delivered to the coil pipe 46 connected to a reticulation system o approved pressure.

Alternatively, obtained from an .elevated tank.

Heat may be supplied to the chamber 45 by if necessary, a fine 48 may be fitted there- `a gas burner 47 or other approved means,

an t

e supported in this way be the pressure water may be The opposite or left hand ends of the flexible envelopes (Figure 1) are fitted with discharge pipes 49 connected by flexible tubes 50y to branches of a common discharge pipe 51 which is arranged at the end of the machine and which is provided with an 'extension 52 whereby the water is deliveredv to a discharge cock 53 arranged adjacent to the opposite end of the press.

A thermometer 54 and pressure gauge 55 are preferably arranged in the discharge pipe adjacent to the cock 53.

A by-pass pipe 56 connects the pipe 43 to the discharge pipe extension 52 and is under the controlof a three-way cock 57 whereby water ma y be discharged without passing through t e envelopes for a purpose hereinafter explained.

by-.passpi or may be completely shut o as require In operation, veneered members as 58 (Figure 6) are placed in position in the comi partments formed by the envelopes and the top and bottom plates of the machine, and the top plate is lowered by the means provided until the envelopes press initially against the 4center portions of the veneer surmeans of this three-way cock, the waterl may be paed through the envelopes or the` sults in the /glue between the veneer and thek work being progressively displaced from the^ center to the sides and ends thereof.

It willthus be seen that the top plate is lowereduntil the envelopes are flattened sufficiently to bear against the whole surface of the Work.

Thecock 53 is then closed or partially closed so that the back pressure in the enve- -lopes is increased to a desired degree, so that the flexible surfaces of the envelopes bear firmly against, and accommodate themselves to. any irregularities in the work.-

the control of the cock 53, is indicated by the pressure gauge 55 and the temperature which in indicated by the thermometer 54 may be p cptrolled by means of the burner v47 or the When the veneered members are firmly pressed together, the burner 47 may be turned out, so that the tempera-ture of the water` passing through the envelopesV is reduced, thus accelerating the hardening of the glue or cement.

Alternatively, when it is desired to deliver cold Water to the envelopes,same may be supplied through an additional pipe (not shown) connected to the supply pipe 43 in` order to obviate the necessity of passing such Water through the heating coils 44.

Finally.- the supply of pressure Water is cutoff as by means of a cock 59 or the three- Way coclr`57 and the top plate is raised to` 1Lpermit of the removal of the veneered memers.

In order'to effectively control the temperf ature of the env,elopes, it is desirable to indicate the rate of flow of the waiter, as Well as the temperature thereof, and any suitable rate of` How indicator may be provided for this purpose.

suitable device for, this purpose is indicated in Figure-7 where the water disy charges from the cock 53 into a vertical perforated barrel of approved length 'the rate of dischargebeing indicated by the level of water therein, during operation, as clearly illustrated. Y-

A. device `of this character is preferably calibrated by experiment in conjunction with temperature readings, so that the desired thermal conditions of the envelopes may be readily controlled.-` y l.

When the water is being raised to the desired temperature and its rate of flow and pressure for any particular purpose is being adjusted, the water may conveniently be by-passed to discharge through pipe 56 by the manipulation of the three-way Vcock 57 It will be apparent that the press may be constructed in many different ways and that,` for example, the top plate may be raised and lowered by any approvedmeans, other than those described. l a

Although they machine has been describedand illustrated with the top and bottom plates and envelopes arranged horizontally, it will be further understood that they may be arvelopes may be of curved formation to suit special classes of Work.

It will be understood that the 'flexibility of the envelopes-permits of the veneer being pressed uniformly against the whole surface It will be understood that the back pres-v sure in thev discharge pipe, which is under.-

,plates and the like.

If desired, the linings onthe adjacent surfaces of the decks 14 and 30 may take the form of flexible envelopes whereby the temperature thereof may be placed under effective control.

In the appended claims, the word veneer is intended to comprehend any thin material vto be secured to .other members by means of glue or cement and envelope includes any .flexible bag or container employed for the purposes above set forth.

1. A veneer press comprising a fixed horizontally disposed base plate, an adjustable top plate arranged in yertical alignment with the base plate, means for adjusting the top'plate to and from the base plate, and for retaining it in an adjusted position, a plurality of iiexible metal envelopes disposed ,parallel with and arranged between the fixed and adjustable plates, means for adjustably supporting the envelopes in position, means for delivering Water under pressure to one of the ends of the saidenvelopes, means for discharging the Water from the opposite ends of the envelopes, and valve mechanism in the discharge meansV for regulating the pressureA within thel envelopes.

asv

2. A veneer press comprising a xed base plate, vertical screw shafts at oppositeY ends of the base plate, nuts on the screw shafts supporting an adjustable top plate, means for rotating the screw shafts in unison to regulate the position of the adjustable Itop y said fluid from the envelope.

the edges and means for supplying heated water under pressure to the said flexible envelopes.

3. In aiveneer press according to clalm 2,

I bevel gears on the lower ends of the screw f shafts, a longitudinally disposed shaft, bevel gears on the longitudinally disposed shaft meshing with gears on the screw shafts, a gear on one end of the longitudinal shaft,

1 a pinion meshing with the gear and a crank handle for imparting motion to the pinion.

4. In a veneer press according to claim 2, fiexible tubes for delivering water to and discharging it from opposite ends of the en- 5 velopes, a common discharge pipe associated with the aexime discharge tubes, and a valve in the common discharge pipe for shutting off and regulating the flow ofv liquid.

`5. In a veneer pressaccording to claim 2,

2 flexible tubes for delivering water to and discharging it from opposite ends of the envelopes, a common discharge pipe associated with the flexible discharge tubes, a valve in the common discharge pipe for shutting oi and regulating the lw of liquid, and a valve y controlled by-pass pipe for delivering ythe water direct to the common discharge pipe 'fromthe supply pipe. n

6. A venef press comprising, parallelly 8 disposed rigid plates, a flexible, metalenvelope arranged between and having its 'opposed fiexible faces directed towards the vsaid rigid plates, means for passing heated fluid under pressure1 through the envelope, and means for throttling the discharge of 7. A veneer press comprising a air of parallelly disposed rigid` plates, a. p urality of shallow flexible metal envelopes arranged arallelly between the rigid plates` and aving t eir opposite faces arranged to impart a yielding pressure against lnterposed 'pieces of work, vand means for circulating eated water under pressure through the envelopes.

8. A veneer press comprising a pair of parallelly disposed rigid plates, means for adjusting said plates to and from each other, a plurality of shallow fiexible en# velopes arranged between .the rigid plates 5 from the Oadjustable plate, said envelope being substantially inextensible at its edges and having its opposite faces arran ed to impart a ielding pressure against a jacent articles o work, and means for supplying water under pressure to the said envelo 10. A veneer ress according to claim 8 wherein the flexilile envelopes each comprise a pair of flexible metal sheets of cambered' formation connected at their meeting edges.

11. In a ress for ap lyin veneers to articles, a su stantially i at si ed iexible envelope, the opposite sides of which are arranged toimpart a ielding pressure toadjacent pieces of wor t, said envelope consisting of thin flexible sheets which are so connected at the edges of the envelope as to substantially prevent extension thereof in a direction parallel to -its operative faces, means for delivering a pressure fluid to the envelope, and separate means for discharging the fiuid therefrom.

In witness whereof I 'hereunto affix my signature. f

ERNEST GEORGE LACEY.

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